Trapped in a Closet
by Wile
Summary: Grissom and Cath are stuck in a closet. Grillows oneshot


Disclaimer: I make no claim on CSI or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to Mistress Quill for the help on this fic when I got stuck. Also, this is not the first CSI fic I've ever written just the first I've decided to post. Feedback is most welcome, but please, no flames. Cheers!

* * *

Catherine woke with a jolt. She opened her eyes, squeezed them closed for a moment, and then reopened them to find herself still in pitch black. A moan sounded near her left ear and she turned to face it. She attempted to reach out with her left hand only to find that it was firmly attached to something. Catherine realized her left wrist was handcuffed to a steel bar. "Son of a..."

"Catherine?" the person next her asked before she could finish.

"Gil, is that you?"

"Yes. Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Can't say that I do and I take it that you don't either."

"Nope."

Grissom rattled his handcuffs for a moment. He discovered his right wrist was attached to the same bar as Catherine's left wrist. He also found that they were facing each other in close proximity. Reaching around with his left arm he found a string that came down from the ceiling and pulled. The bare light bulb above their heads clicked on and they squinted from the sudden burst of light. Finally getting his eyes back, Grissom looked around and found they were in an empty janitor's closet. It was rather small and they had little room to maneuver between the two of them. For the sake of it, he tried the door handle. It refused to turn. "We're locked in," he said.

Catherine fidgeted with her handcuffs for a moment drawing Grissom's attention back to her. "I don't suppose you know _why_ we're handcuffed to a water pipe in an abandoned closet."

"I don't," he responded in a way that Catherine found less than assuring. He did not seem to be in a hurry to get out of the closet. "However, I can remedy the handcuff problem."

His tone of voice suggested something she might not like. "But?"

"I need you to reach my wallet in the back right pocket."

She looked a little surprised at the request. "Gil, surely you can reach it with your left hand?"

"Not with the closeness of this closet. The shelves are too close for me to reach around. You, however, can wrap your right arm around fairly easily."

He was, of course, correct in his assessment of the situation. In order for it to work though, Catherine had to lean into his chest a bit and then work her arm around his waist. Several slightly uncomfortable moments ensued where Catherine found herself face to face with Grissom and her hand slid across his butt trying to find the pocket and his wallet. Once the task was complete, she moved back the several inches allowed her.

"Hold it please." She did as asked as Grissom managed to open the wallet and dig out a set of handcuff keys. She was about to ask him why he had them, but the question was completely written on her face. "In case of emergencies," he said with a grin.

"Right," Catherine responded, drawing out the word as he undid both their handcuffs. Even with both hands free, there was little they could do. Space was already limited, and with the extra limb that was free to move around, space seemed even more limited. Catherine suggested turning off the light because a) it was a bit too bright for her liking and b) it made everything feel that much smaller.

After complying with the request Gil said, "Perhaps now is the time to ask if you're claustrophobic."

Catherine looked in Grissom's direction and responded, "Well, I'm not really. But this closet is small enough that I'm beginning to feel a bit cramped." She paused a moment before adding, "Don't tell me you're actually claustrophobic."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Cath. I'm not. I used to be, but I got over it when I was kid. One of my cousins thought it would be a great joke to toss me in the trunk of my uncle's car. In the end, I guess the joke was on him."

Catherine laughed at his anecdote. Grissom usually did not divulge much, so anytime she got something from him, she committed it to memory for later. It was also reassuring to know he was not about to panic anytime soon. She felt a little more relaxed because of him, but her feet were starting to hurt.

She knew wearing heels to work was a bad idea, but she thought she had only come in for paperwork. Getting locked in a closet was not originally part of the deal. However, there were certainly worse people to be stuck in the closet with. Greg would likely have tried to romance her. Sara would just have annoyed her to no end. Warrick might not have been so bad, but it would have been awkward. Brass would probably have tried to joke about the situation and fail miserably. With Gil it was a bit awkward at first, but the awkwardness did not last past the wallet incident.

Catherine leaned forward a bit toward Gil. He noticed her shifting. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. My feet hurt is all. I'm trying to remove my shoes."

"Do you need help with that?"

She grunted a bit as she tried to maneuver into a better shoe-removing position. "I think I'm good, but thanks." In the end, she had to lean into Grissom's chest with his back against the shelves. He then had to reach around and pry each shoe off her foot. Once the task was completed, Catherine realized she had been holding her breath. She also took her time separating from him, though she did not do that on purpose.

For his part, Grissom did nothing to suggest anything either way. All truth be told, he was enjoying Catherine's proximity, but he had no plans to tell her that, at least not presently. He especially liked that she lingered. While they could not see each other in the dark, they could not move far enough apart that they would be unaware of each other.

Perhaps that was what drew him to the complexity of their non-existent, but at the same time, promising (and possible) romantic relationship. He just had no plans to presently tell her that either.

Catherine did not remain aloof to what was occurring around her. She had been on enough dates with a variety of men to know when they found her attractive and were interested in pursuing her. Grissom was no different, except for the fact she had known for a long time that he found her attractive and he would not act on his feelings toward her whatever his feelings may be.

"You okay now, Cath?"

"Yes, Gil. Thanks for the help." Her back was now pressed against the shelves behind her. He had not moved forward at all, so his position was the same. "Listen, Gil, I don't know how long we'll be in this closet, so I think we should try and get somewhat comfortable."

"I agree." They had already checked their pockets for a cell phone and had come up empty. In the process they discovered how lucky they were to have his wallet or they would still be handcuffed to the water pipe. "Although, at this point, we can venture a guess as to who might have done this."

"You're not thinking . . ." She trailed off knowing that he would understand.

"Oh, I am." He turned the light back on so they could try and see what they had to work with. It took several moments for their eyes to adjust and the look Catherine got from Grissom took her off guard for a moment. He got caught up in her sometimes and this was one of those moments. His brain function more or less stopped and he just looked her in the eye and half smiled with a slightly dreamy look about him.

"One or all of them?" she inquired, folding her arms in the process.

In an instant Grissom was back to normal and acting like nothing had happened. "All of them. I think they just got fed up with us not admitting what's actually going on here."

She looked at him and realized he may not be as aloof to what was happening as she previously thought. Of course, she had been convinced Sara would get him in the end. Trying to keep her cool, Catherine asked, "What is going on here?"

He sized her up for a moment and then put out the question that really took her off her guard. "What would you do if I kissed you, Catherine?"

She visibly backed up only to find she could not go any further. Looking down she tried to get her thoughts in order. "Well, I …" Grissom raised an eyebrow inquisitively. She caught his gaze and said, "I don't know. I guess we'd have to try it." He took a step forward, which was just enough to bring them back in contact with each other. He cupped her face with his hands, never once looking away. "Gil, wait. What about this thing with you and Sara?"

He sighed and stepped back, letting go of her. "Catherine, if you're having doubts we don't have to do this."

"Just answer the question, Gil. Please. I need to know if there is anything between you and Sara." Her voice suggested she was begging, but her posture never changed. She needed to know that he was in this completely and not as a last resort.

"Sara and I would never work. We're too alike, and, between you and me, she tries too hard to keep my attention. We're coworkers, nothing more." Catherine sent him a look that said she was still not quite sure. "I promise you, Catherine, my interest in Sara faded long ago."

"You're not just saying that to please me, are you?"

Grissom quietly replied, "I would never say something I didn't mean. Not to you, Catherine." He seemed timid suddenly almost unsure of what he was doing. It was all very un-Grissom like. He was showing his vulnerability to her, something she took as reassurance.

Catherine took the step forward and ran her fingers through his beard. "You know, I've always thought you look debonair with the beard."

"You do, do you?" The normal, confident Grissom had returned.

"Oh, yes. Very much. You know what else I wondered?" Her voice had become sultry and a bit seductive. She placed a hand on his chest and put his back all the way against the shelves behind him again.

"What?"

"Guess." She was smiling seductively at him now. He, however, was fighting the bright light behind her so his vision was a bit spotty. He was picking up on her body language though, especially the hand drawing little circles on his chest and the hand running through his hair.

"Um …" He was the one who was lost for words suddenly. The hand that was in his hair moved down to trail lightly across his beard next. "You're going to have to tell me, Cath, because I'm distracted at the moment." His voice was low and quiet.

She smiled at him and then reached up to turn off the light. They were both blind once again, but it was easy for Catherine to pull Grissom into a kiss since she had kept one hand on his cheek. He returned the kiss with a fervor she had not expected from him; however, it did reassure her completely as to his intentions toward her.

: P

Ecklie was in quite a rush trying to find his elder CSIs. Their team attested that they had not seen or heard from Grissom or Catherine in several hours. He had tried calling both their home and cell phones but had not gotten an answer. Taking a shortcut through a deserted hallway in the basement, he heard a banging sound coming from the closet. Ecklie tried turning the handle but found it locked, so he went to find someone with a key to open the door. Even though he was in a rush to find his CSIs, his curiosity got the better of him. Several minutes later he had the key in hand and was opening the closet when out tumbled none other than Catherine and Grissom. Grissom had his back on the floor and Catherine was on top of him. They were looking a little disheveled, but otherwise fine. Catherine managed to get up as dignified as possible in the current situation and then helped Grissom to his feat.

"Have you two been …" He stopped when he noticed their current state. "Are you two …"

Catherine wisely cut in. "Conrad, what a pleasant surprise to see you here." She smiled at him. "Thanks for getting us out of there."

"What's going on?" Ecklie demanded.

Grissom answered, "You might wish to talk to our team and Doc Robbins. Now, if you don't mind, Catherine and I have work to do." Grissom steered Catherine down the hall leaving a dumbfounded Conrad Ecklie to figure out what had just happened.

On their way back to the lab, Catherine whispered to Grissom, "The best part of this is that the joke's on them." Grissom smiled and hugged her close to him in response as they walked back to work.

The End


End file.
